Liam stood in the doorway, his eyes darting between Rhys and me, taking in our proximity. The tension in the kitchen was thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Everything okay in here?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.
Before I could answer, Rhys stepped even closer to me, his chest nearly touching my back. I felt his breath on my ear as he whispered, "Is all this dress-up for him, little omega? Trying to impress Liam Thorne?"
My body stiffened. I tried to move away, but Rhys placed his hands on the counter on either side of me, effectively caging me in. I was trapped between the hard marble surface and his warm body.
"Elara?" Liam called again, taking a step forward.
"I'm fine," I managed to say, my voice steadier than I felt. "Just... just give me a minute."
Liam hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave me alone with Rhys. "I'll wait in the hallway," he finally said, his eyes never leaving Rhys's face.